Enemies for Life
by GIBsonBERISH
Summary: Being the bane of a person's existence is an important job. One to which Sirius is fully committed. When Snape starts slacking off, the mischievous Marauder is forced to take action for his sanity's sake.
1. Chapter 1

I wrote this a long time ago. I didn't really want to publish it because I am bad about writing in a timely manner and I always hate it when people leave stories unfinished. Alas, I have and maybe it will motivate me to continue with it.

I don't own the characters.

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Sirius huffed moodily as he stomped down the dark hallway of number 12 Grimmauld Place. He slammed his bedroom door shut just as his mother's portrait began squawking over the "unworthy filth" who had recently vacated the Noble House of Black. The Order meeting had left him fuming.

Sneers and insults were the constant in his life and throwing them right back was the best entertainment he could find. It was like a duel. Now that he thought of it, Sirius realized that he enjoyed fighting with the infuriating potions master. It made him feel alive. He didn't have to hold back. All of the stress and loneliness just flowed out of him. But this change in attitude was not acceptable; Sirius Black would not be ignored! To punctuate his point, he kicked his bedpost roughly, earning him a sore big toe. He stumbled into his worn arm chair and lapsed back into his brooding over the meeting that night.

Almost all of the members of the Order had arrived and were just waiting on the few who were late. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were chatting amicably in the kitchen with Kingsley and Dumbledore. Ginny and Hermione were out on the back patio giggling and pointing at each other as Tonks used a spell to change their hair back and forth to various shades of hot pink, lime green, and indigo. Harry and Ron stood gaping at the items piled high in the upstairs bedroom as Fred and George explained their newest joke products. They included toothpaste, chewing gum, perfume, fizzy drinks, and other everyday things.

"You see your victim,-

-upon contact with any of these seemingly innocent items,-

-will be force to say the opposite-

-of what they're really thinking!"

"Brilliant!" Harry popped a piece of chewing gum in his mouth and exclaimed, "The gum tastes disgusting, too!" Ron laughed and took a swig of the soda as Fred and George sprayed each other with perfume. Ron patted George on the shoulder as he examined the other things on the bed. "You lot are real idiots and you'll never make any money with this stuff."

"Well guess what Ronnipoo,-

-you being our favorite brother and a rather clever chap all around-

-we want to offer any of our awful products-

-to you free of charge"

Harry laughed as Ron gasped, "Really!"

As the effects of the products wore off Fred and George shared a look of amusement then turned back to their little brother with twin smirks.

"No, now-

-you owe us a galleon-

-for the soda you nicked."

Ron looked disgruntled and left the room quickly.

"Free of charge-

-for you Harry-

-of course."

Spitting out the gum Harry exclaimed, "Thanks guys! Hey, how'd you come up with this one? It's amazing!"

"O, well we just thought Sirius' mum-

-could use a change of pace."

"She almost seems pleasant now-

-except for the glare."

"It'll wear off in an hour or so-

-pity, we need to make it longer lasting."

Harry chuckled as he walked down the hall and heard Mrs. Black grumble, "Have a nice time with your lovely friends. Tell them they can stay as long as they like." It was a bit disconcerting to say the least. As he walked to the kitchen, Harry glimpsed Sirius and Remus in the sitting room having a fierce Wizard's Chess match. Sirius was failing miserably but he was still determined.

Remus let out a triumphant "Ha!" as another one of Sirius' pieces was smashed to bits, but said loser had lost all interest in the game as he saw who had come in the door.

"Nice of you to show up, Snivellus." The greasy git looked tired and Sirius wondered how far he could push him in this state. In return Snape eyed the scene warily, simply stated, "Black… Lupin," and strode to the kitchen to take his seat at the table.

Sirius stared after him, dumbfounded. Remus glanced at his frozen friend, "Well that was odd; are you coming Sirius?"

"Hmm, o yeah, let's go."

The two marauders entered the kitchen and found all of the other members seated and already deep in discussion about the state of things. Sirius attempted to forget the incident, but as Albus began to speak, he completely zoned out. He wondered what could have caused such a change. Normally Snape would jump at any opportunity to get in a fight with him.

_Maybe the burden of being a double agent is getting to him. If it were me, I would've had an identity crisis and lost my mind a long time ago. What ridiculous mission has Dumbledore got him doing now? _

Sirius realized he was glaring at the elder at the head of the table and quickly collected himself. _What is wrong with me? Why do I care what happens to Snivellus?_

_...Because it's affecting my routine, that's why!_

Sirius glanced at Snape and tried to catch his eye but the man avoided his gaze throughout the meeting. This one person staring contest continued for quite some time; frustrating Sirius further. Suddenly he found himself being nudged roughly in the side by Remus' elbow. "Ow, Moony what the hell?" Remus raised his eyebrows and Sirius, finally getting the point, turned to see everyone at the table staring at him. "What?"

"I was only inquiring as to whether it would be convenient for you, to have the next meeting in three weeks time. I find it is much more accommodating and productive to make plans rather that interrupt everyone's busy lives on a whim. Don't you agree Mister Black?"

"O, um yeah that would be fine, Albus."

"Wonderful!" Dumbledore twinkled at him in an all-knowing sort of way. "Now that we are done speaking of all these serious matters… no pun intended of course Sirius…" Sirius shrugged. "…I wonder Molly, if I could trouble you for a piece of your pear tart."

"O yes, Albus I saved some especially for you" At this point most of the Weasley children as well as Harry and Hermione made to leave, but Mrs. Weasley caught sight of them. "Kids, I want you all to clean up the mess you made in the front room."

"But mum, it was all Fred and George's fault!" A hard smack landed on the back of Ron's head accompanied by twin whispers of "prat."

"I don't want to hear any more about it Ronald. All of you, go."

As everyone dispersed, Sirius subtly cornered Snape as he went for the fire whiskey. He was impressed to see the potions professor gulp the entire glass down in one go, but he quickly snapped out of it. "Oi, Snivellus, I believe it's the girl you're supposed to get drunk to make you seem even remotely attractive, but I suppose if you are trying to fool yourself…"

"Out of my way Black, I don't have time for your childishness" and with that he swept out of the room, cloak billowing in a bat like look which Sirius would normally have gone after next. Within minutes Snape left headquarters after leaving word with Dumbledore.

_Childishness, what a load of bollocks! He can't just all of a sudden be the bigger person. Our purpose in this world is to torment each other to no end. How could that slimy bastard do this. It's a travesty!_

"Hey Padfoot, how about a rematch, maybe I'll let you think you're winning this time."

"No thanks Moony, I'm going to bed."

"But it's only ten?"

That was when Sirius decided that abusing his furniture was the best remedy for this predicament. As he sat clutching his swollen toe he realized that he had to do something to fix this. Things had to go back to the way they were… for his health's sake.

"I'm going to get that shoddy excuse for a socially acceptable human being to insult me if it's the last thing I do!"

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Alright... I don't really like this but it was burning a hole in my documents folder. Who knows if I will go on.


	2. Chapter 2

Three weeks is a long time to wait. For Sirius, being stuck in his family's dank depressing house without human contact or any decent creative outlet was only a few shades brighter than the solitude of Azkaban. The one thing that kept him from really losing it was the idea that Snape would soon return and he would be able to set his plans into motion. The schemes brewing inside his mischievous mind could rival some of the Marauders' best school pranks.

_When I'm finished with him, that prat will never dare leave me without a fight. I'll make him scream his bloody head off. I'll crack that hard mask and show everyone what he's really made of._

The excitement of the rivals' approaching reunion had Sirius pacing the house like a caged animal. At times, remaining in his animagus form was the only way to keep from lashing out in frustration. Patience was not his strong suit.

When the day finally arrived, Sirius could be found in front of his bathroom mirror brushing his hair into soft curls and smoothing his button down. He only stopped for a second to question his motivation for taking such care.

_I just want to look nice when I am tearing Snivellus to pieces. It wouldn't do to give him anything easy to pick at like how I look like a mangy mutt… That insult is getting old; I want him to dig deeper for this one._

Sirius stood fidgeting with his shirt sleeves as the Order members began to arrive. The excitement and anxiety fought within him and was threatening to spill over. Sirius had never gotten this worked up about…well, anything really. He had laid small traps all over the house that could only be triggered by Snape. Sirius was sure that the continued assaults throughout the evening would rile the dungeon bat into such a tizzy that by the end of the night they would have the kind of shouting match that goes down in the history books.

Sirius was abruptly brought out of his musings by the flirtatious whistles and catcalls of the Weasley twins.

"My, my Sirius-

"-looking sharp this evening."

"You didn't get all dolled up-

"- just for us did you?"

Sirius grinned at the two exuberant jokesters. They always brought him back to his school days with the Marauders.

"So, have you got a hot date?"

"Should we tell Dumbledore-"

"-to skip over all the greater good rubbish-"

"-so your lady love can take you-"

"-for a walk in the park?"

Sirius frowned. _Do I really look like I'm dressed for a date? That's not it at all. I'm dress for the annihilation of my enemy. _

With a shrug, Sirius smiled at the twins and told them to bugger off. He kept a close eye on the door. There were a few entertaining traps there and he didn't want to miss one second of the show.

After fifteen minutes of staring at the door listlessly then perking up whenever the house creaked, Sirius was getting worried.

_Why the bloody hell is he so late? What could he possibly be doing? Dumbledore expects everyone on time. Surely the slimy git doesn't think he's better than the rest of us._

Sirius jumped when someone touched him on the shoulder. He rounded on them to tell them off for breaking his concentration. He was met with Remus' bemused half-grin.

"You all right Siri? The meeting's started. Come on."

"What?" Remus just grabbed his arm and steered him into the kitchen and into his regular chair.

Sirius scanned the table for any sign of greasy black hair and bottomless black eyes and came up empty.

Dumbledore had already started speaking to Kingsley. "The corruption in the Ministry makes it quite vulner-"

"Hang on, where the hell is Snivellus?" Sirius had the sense to look apologetic when he realized that he had just interrupted the meeting.

"If you are referring to Severus, I'm afraid that he was unable to attend our gathering tonight." Dumbledore smiled down the table at Sirius.

"Why not, you told us about the meeting three weeks ago. Can't he keep track or is he too busy with his other meetings?" Remus hissed at him to shut up from across the table.

Dumbledore eyes lost their twinkle, almost looking sad. It made Sirius uncomfortable and for some reason ashamed. "I'm sorry you weren't informed Sirius. After the last of Severus' meetings that you mentioned, he was left feeling a bit under the weather. Madame Pomfrey is taking care of him now and I'm sure he'll be right as rain soon enough."

All of the color drained from Sirius' face. The scenarios suddenly playing in his head had him reeling in fear, anger, and desperation- desperation to see that Snape was alive and breathing, and still an evil, greasy git.

He had to see him and then once he knew he was okay he was going to go after Voldemort and his Death Eaters and especially any of Sirius' relatives. Sirius ignored all reason in his formulation of these plans that very deep down he knew he could not actually accomplish. In his mind though, he would be a one man army. He would make his life-long enemy safe again so that they could continue their rivalry as they pleased.

Sirius' inner diatribe continued throughout the meeting, occasionally lapsing into worry about possible injuries that could keep Snape in the hospital wing. Sirius knew from all the times that the Marauders' pranks had landed Severus in the Madame Pomfrey's care that the stubborn man hated to be taken care of.

_It must be bad. I'm getting out of this hell hole to see for myself whether Dumbledore likes it or not..._

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Sorry, this chapter is kind of a tease but I hope it's better than nothing. I'll try to keep at it and write the next part._  
_


	3. Chapter 3

For those who review (or just read): thanks for sticking with me even though I am horrible about updating. You have no idea how excited I get about reviews, it's ridiculous...

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In an odd, ironic sort of way Sirius always felt most like his true self when he was in his animagus form. As Padfoot, he was able to be wild and free. It was so much less complicated as a dog. The emotions and instincts that he might fight against as a human were expressed without hesitation in this furry body. Everything was sharper and he felt like he could run for ages without being tired. Sirius thought that there was more chance of a successful mission if he remained as Padfoot throughout the night.

The Order members had all gone and Padfoot circled the parlour with a guilty whine. Sirius hated the idea of disobeying Dumbledore's orders in any form and as a dog, the prospect made him cower. He was not supposed to leave the house. Since he was still technically a wanted criminal, it would not be good for him to be captured and sent back to Azkaban. He didn't know if he would be able to make another grand escape. There was nothing for it though, he had to go to Hogwarts and he had to see _him_.

The front door of Grimmauld Place creaked ominously as it opened and then closed behind Padfoot. He didn't want to risk being seen so he trotted along up the street to a place where he could safely apparate. The alley he chose was dank, sandwiched between a butcher shop and a disreputable looking law firm.

Padfoot slowly morphed into Sirius and just as he realized that he was inappropriately dressed for the weather, he popped out of existence and was swallowed by a vacuum.

Sirius was flung back into the reality of the chilly night on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Shivering, he quickly shifted back into Padfoot and, staying in the shadows, moved toward the Shrieking Shack.

It was easy enough to find a loose board across one of the lower level windows. The difficult part was wiggling through the small space. Padfoot triumphantly pushed through the last bit and proceeded to fall to the floor with a yelp. Luckily no one was around to see his less than graceful landing.

Familiar smells assaulted his sensitive nose as he moved around the old building. Under the stench of dust and decay, Padfoot faintly recognized Moony, Harry and his friends, Prongs and Wormtail if he sniffed in certain places, though he really didn't fancy inhaling Pettigrew if he could help it. Then it hit him, Severus' scent. It was in the bedroom upstairs. It was all over the bed. Padfoot jumped up and began to nuzzle the sheets, just taking it in.

That tiny part of Sirius' mind that still operated within human reason was screaming at Padfoot. This was not something you did when you caught the scent of your enemy, unless you wanted to memorise it so you could hunt him down.

With that small jolt, Padfoot remembered that he was on a mission. He jumped off the bed, bounded down the stairs, and raced through the dirt tunnel. He skidded to a stop just short of the tunnel's end. He had forgotten the treacherous branches of the Whomping Willow. He was too impatient to go searching for the knot at the base of the trunk.

As the risk taker he was, Padfoot decided to just go for it and hope for the best. With a loud howl, he raced out from under the tree as fast as he could. The heavy limbs swung at him and landed with earthshaking force all around him, some just barely missing the midnight black dog.

Luckily Padfoot was quick and determined. He didn't stop running until he arrived at the enormous front doors of Hogwarts. He was surprised to see that one of the doors was standing slightly ajar. He was filled with a sense of pride for the students who were out of the castle after hours.

A slight shift in the breeze has Padfoot trotting toward the Black Lake. He could smell Harry and someone else. When he was close enough to see the two figures down by the water, he realised with a quiet snarl that the other scent was Draco Malfoy.

He prepared himself to pounce on the little git in the event that Harry needed protection. Upon closer inspection Padfoot saw that neither had their wands drawn and they seemed to be talking in hushed voices. They stood closer than two enemies would be expected to but they weren't touching. The tension and unease that usually accompanied their meetings was still there but it appeared to be fuelled by nervous energy rather than aggression.

As the cool breeze picked up and swept across the grounds, Harry shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. Within a second, Malfoy pulled his cloak off and threw it around the smaller boy's shoulders. Padfoot was filled with confusion about the situation but that was overwhelmed by the feeling of satisfaction that at least someone was taking care of his godson when he couldn't.

When he was sure that Harry wasn't in any imminent danger, Padfoot remembered the goal he had had before being distracted. Remus always swore that when Sirius was Padfoot his ADD worsened tenfold.

Back on track, Padfoot shuffled through the door and attempted to make his way to the hospital wing stealthily. He had a generous amount of experience in getting into this particular part of the castle without alerting Madame Pomfrey, he used to sneak in to visit Remus each time after the full moon.

The plan that Sirius had made was simple: get to Hogwarts, check that Snivellus was still breathing, insult him a bit if Snape was in a state to respond in kind, and leave. Padfoot had other ideas. He was instantly drawn to the curtain that emanated a strong, oily, musty smell. There was no mistaking it, especially after his encounter with it in the Shrieking Shack.

Padfoot crawled under the stark white curtain and carefully raised his front paws onto the bed. He whined as he realised the extent of the man's injuries. If this was all that Pomfrey could do then he imagined that the starting point must have been much worse.

A large bandage spread across Severus' wan face and another was peeking out above the sheet on the man's upper arm. The dungeon bat that he was, Snape was always pale but his face seemed to have been completely drained of colour. He slept deeply, emitting shallow breaths.

Sirius knew that he should go. He had done what he had planned. Snape was alive and on the mend. There was nothing more to do about it. Despite his worry over the man's condition, Padfoot was intrigued by his lack of clothing. Snape was usually so buttoned up that just taking off his outer robe was like a normal person striping down naked.

Without a second thought, Padfoot jumped lightly onto the crisp white sheets, circled a few times, and settled himself against Severus' side. He nudged Severus' hand with his nose and released a contented sigh. Sirius wanted to fight it, wanted to leave without a backward glance but Padfoot acknowledged the need to protect and comfort the wounded man.

This conflict was something new. Sirius had always trusted Padfoot's instincts because usually it was exactly what he wanted. Sirius refused to think about what this meant and quickly fell into a fitful sleep.

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This ended up being quite different than what I thought it would be.

You asked for a little Drarry so I hinted at it a bit. I might keep it going in future chapters.


	4. Chapter 4

I know, I've waited too long to write another chapter. I wrote this in celebration of finally getting out of school! I hope you like it.

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Someone was scratching in that perfect spot right behind his ear. Padfoot couldn't help himself from pushing closer to that wonderful hand as his leg started to twitch. This must be what heaven would be like. Those hands moved all along his body, rubbing in all the right places. He looked up with adoration into the deep, black eyes of his new hero.

With a jolt, Padfoot realized that the man petting him was none other than his childhood (okay, lifelong) nemesis, Snivellus. He thought of pulling away but then Snape touched that place on his spine that he could never reach. Closing his eyes, he decided to just enjoy the massage. As he rolled around on the sheet, begging the man to continue on forever, Padfoot tried to get as close to him as possible and ended up practically laying on him.

Without hesitation, Snape grabbed Sirius' head and attacked his mouth in the same sensual way that he had been stroking with his hands. The animagus thought for a moment that it was a bit weird that Snape would be into kissing dogs. With a start, he pulled back and looked down at himself. He was no longer a dog. He was very much a man, very much a naked man, a naked man in bed with Severus Snape…naked.

His foe pulled him into another kiss and Sirius didn't resist. Snape had a talented tongue, marvelous really. He could have a circus performance with that tongue. Sirius would bet his _Wizards and Their Wands_ magazine collection that Snape could do the tying-a-cherry-stem-in-a-knot-with-no-hands trick.

Gods, he could go on doing this all day. His hands came up and gripped dark flowing hair. Sirius was surprised to find that it really wasn't all that greasy. It was actually quite smooth. He groaned as Snape rolled them over and his weight settled on top of him.

As they rolled over again, Sirius moaned in disappointment as Snape pushed him away. He became panicked when he continued to push him. Sirius yelped as he felt himself falling.

With a whine, Padfoot opened his eyes to find himself on the cold, stone floor of the hospital wing. He glanced up to see the sneering face of Severus Snape glaring down at him. It was only a dream. He should have known Snape would never willingly kiss him. Padfoot tilted his head as he stared at those lips. As they began to move, he tried to focus on what was being said.

"What the bloody hell do you think you are doing here you infernal idiot? Do you realize the repercussions of someone discovering a convicted murderer lounging about inside Hogwarts? You've always been such a selfish, immature, lazy excuse for man Black."

Those eyes bore into him, waiting for his rebuttal. Padfoot couldn't bear to change back into Sirius. Instead of feeling the familiar anger and excitement, Padfoot just felt hurt. No retaliation came to mind; he would rather lapse back into his dream than feel the shame of hearing those words from Snape. It meant something now. It wasn't just a game anymore; the words were real and they were sharp.

He lowered his head, unable to meet that intense gaze and afraid that Snape would see these new feelings. That would make it so much worse. If Severus knew that Sirius had less than cruel intentions for his rival, there would be hell to pay. Snape would use that to get revenge on him for all the pain caused when they were in school. Sirius knew it and now that he realized that Snape's hatred for him would never abate, misery began to settle.

Padfoot froze and looked up wide-eyed as a door opened and footsteps sounded at the end of the ward. "Hide you fool." Padfoot came back to himself at Snape's hissed words and sidled under the bed. A pair of pristine white shoes came to rest at the edge of the bed and Madame Pomfrey began tutting over Snape's condition.

"Severus, you need to be resting. You look quite pale. This potion should help. You'll be right as rain in a day or two."

"A day or two? I refuse to stay here any longer. I thank you for your help Poppy, but I am fully capable of caring for myself."

"Severus…" Sirius knew that tone of voice. She was giving him the 'do as I say or suffer the consequences' glare. Evidently, Snape had built up a resistance to such tactics.

"I'll just be on my way. I have important potions to attend to."

Suddenly there were lovely, long, pale feet before Padfoot's snout. He felt the inexplicable urge to lick the toes. Then they were walking away and stopping before a cabinet where his clothes were kept. Pomfrey huffed and went back to her office, evidently resigned to the fact that she couldn't control the dour potions master.

Padfoot watched as Snape bent down to tie the laces of his shoes and peeked out from under the bed as he buttoned his robes. He had obviously heard Padfoot shuffling forward as he turned and looked down with a sneer.

"Go back to where you belong you mangy mutt. I don't want to see you here again." With that he swooped down the ward, cloak billowing behind him with only a slight limp to his gait, and left the room.

Padfoot felt a pang of indecision. He really shouldn't give a damn what Snape thinks of him and as his original plan stated, he should leave now that he knows everything is in order. Except that nothing is in order anymore. Things are so far from what they should be. Yes, Snape is alive and relatively well. Yes, he is back to insulting Sirius with fervor.

The problem is that Sirius doesn't want to hurt him anymore and gods is that disturbing. There's just no pleasure in it anymore, not when he knows, or at least thinks, that Snape can give him a much greater pleasure.

Snape just made it blindingly clear that he doesn't plan on making Sirius' dreams come true any time soon though. Despite this major disappointment, Padfoot can't just leave. He may not yet understand where these horribly strange feelings are coming from but he can't just ignore them.

With that in mind, he crept out of the hospital wing and headed in the direction of the dungeons. Maybe he was being stupid and selfish but if twelve years of serving a wrongful conviction in Azkaban had taught him anything, it was that you have very little control over what happens to you in life and of that which you do have control, you should take full advantage.

He decided then and there that there were worse things in life than allowing Severus Snape to know that he, Sirius Orion Black, possessed a strange head cold that caused him not to hate the dungeon bat as much as he used to.

Whatever the consequences, Sirius would suffer them because if there was any chance that Severus' tongue was anywhere near as talented as it was in his dream, it would be worth it.

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What do you think? I'll try to write more frequently in the future.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm really sorry that I haven't worked on this story in such a long time. I've already said that I hate it when people do that and I don't really have an excuse for it... I really want to finish it but no promises (for obvious reasons).

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Severus slammed the door to his chambers, slumped against it for a moment, and then pushed himself across the room to his chair. He lit the fire and glared into the flames, contemplating his mistake. His lack of useful information had cost him dearly at the last Death Eater gathering. Things were becoming difficult for him. Being a double agent for two powerful and manipulative wizards most certainly wasn't easy but over the years he had become somewhat accustomed to juggling his roles. The problem had nothing to do with that. No, it just had to be _him_. The blight on his life from the first day at Hogwarts. Sirius Black was a menace to society. For the life of him, Severus couldn't fathom why such attentions had always been focused on him.

Ever since his personal pest had escaped from Azkaban, Severus had been feeling restless. He had never truly believed that Black had betrayed Lily and Potter to Voldemort. If he knew anything, it was that Sirius had hated and railed against anything and everything that his parents condoned. Severus was never able to reconcile the idea of the mutt helping the Dark Lord in any way.

That night when Pettigrew had been discovered, Severus felt sickened by what had been done to Black. Despite living most of his life with feelings bordering on hate for the man, he would never sentence an innocent man to even a day of the torture that Azkaban most assuredly was. Over the last two years, the idea had settled in the back of his mind and in the pit of his stomach where it festered and grew.

It grew until it had morphed into guilt and sadness. The thoughts enveloped him.

_I was the one who betrayed Lily in the first place. I caused this. I'm the one who should have been locked up_.

The sadness came in seeing Sirius emaciated, tattooed, and weary. He had been such a bright, beautiful, vibrant young man despite his sometimes cruel treatment of Severus. He could have lived so much that it hurt to think of what was lost.

Order meetings were a torment for Severus. It was a struggle to keep up the mean spirited banter when those thoughts bombarded him. He knew that hating Black should be natural but when he walked into the parlor of Grimmauld Place to see _him _frowning as he lost a game of chess to Lupin, he couldn't bear to be the reason for any more hurt in the man's life; he had done enough.

He should have realized that Black would never accept such a surrender. The only way to avoid being prodded into the old habit was to escape. Black could not follow; he was under house arrest per Dumbledore's orders. What he should have known was that the infamous rule breaker would never uphold something that kept him from what he wanted to do.

Waking up to a warm, soft mass nestling into his chest, Severus refused to open his eyes and had just enjoyed the sensation for several minutes. A lick against his neck made his eyes pop wide open to see a disturbingly recognizable dog settled upon him.

_He could have been discovered and sent back to that place again. Because of me…again._

Severus was still unsure why Black would risk so much to bother him while he was injured. It didn't quite fit the mutt's Gryffindor sensibilities.

Despite his resolution to stop insulting his rival, Severus couldn't help himself from pushing the dog off the bed and yelling at him. He was overwhelmed by panic and angered by Sirius' recklessness. Unexpectedly, the dog did not transform to give a scathing remark. Instead he seemed to grow small and cower.

Once he had dealt with Poppy, the Potions master quickly strode from the Hospital wing. He had tried to maintain his distinctive gait but when he reached the dungeons it faltered and became a pained limp.

Now in the warmth of his sitting room, Severus remained confused by Black's strange behavior.

_Is he really that desperate for a prank victim? Surely he has matured at least a bit in the last twelve years._

Though when he thought about it, almost every Order meeting in the last few months had been disturbed by some act or explosion that had everyone, except for Molly Weasley and him, dying of laughter or at the very least, gleeful.

Severus was brought out of his musings by a soft scratching on his door. He pulled his wand and rose. As he limped to the door, he straightened his robes and pulled a sneer. Wrenching the door open he saw…no one. A small whine alerted him to the animal at his feet who looked up at him with huge, pleading eyes and a tail between his legs.

"Are you insane Black! Someone could see you! Filch could catch you!"

Realizing that he was yelling at a wanted felon in the hallway, Severus stepped back into the room. The dog followed hesitantly, skirting around the slamming door.

Severus was beyond exhausted and really didn't know how to deal with the animagus being in his personal space so he retreated to the sitting room and chose to ignore the mutt until he could get rid of him. He would have to get Dumbledore to transport him back to Grimmauld. Black may be getting on Severus' last nerve but he still didn't want something more to happen to him.

He remained stoic as the black mongrel settled onto the rug in front of the fireplace with another whine.

This situation was really getting out of control. Who knew that ignoring your enemy could cause so much trouble?

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I hope you liked it and I will try to be better!


	6. Chapter 6

No one would ever even consider associating the word 'coward' with Sirius Black but in his current position, he found it difficult to avoid the thought. He should have transformed and immediately confessed to Severus. It would have been over quickly. Snape would have sneered, disgusted, and sent him away. Sirius could have returned to Grimmauld and forgotten the whole ordeal.

The problem was that Sirius had been surprised when Snape had let him enter his rooms without hesitation. He wouldn't have put it past the git to leave him out in the corridor. Once he had entered the intriguingly cozy sitting room, Sirius was fascinated by how much it seemed like a home. He had expected something a little more Victorian and Dracula-esque. Instead the room was filled with warm browns and golds, comfortable looking chairs, and huge shelves filled with books of every kind.

Padfoot's first instinct was to turn three times and settle himself onto the rug before the warm fireplace. The comforting heat made it difficult to keep his eyes from drooping even after the long rest he had had with Snape in the hospital wing. The last things Padfoot heard before sleep overtook him, was the slosh of liquid into a glass and the dark man on the couch muttering to himself.

Padfoot awoke many hours later to an angry voice.

"…can't be serious Albus. He cannot stay here. It's not safe. What if a student saw him or..."

"Severus I really think it would be good for him. Keeping him in that place alone really isn't what he needs. None of the students know of Sirius' animagus form outside of the Order. I think Harry will enjoy his presence here immensely as well."

"That's not the… alright fine, but he cannot stay here. I refuse. I won't have the mutt soiling my books."

"Oh Severus, I think our dear Padfoot will do just fine here as long as you take him on regular walks. Won't you Sirius?"

Padfoot jerked his head up, realizing he had been caught listening in. Snape glowered and Albus twinkled at him. He yipped and tossed his head to show his affirmation of Dumbledore's request.

"Excellent! Well I'll leave you two. You really should take him outside Severus; it is a lovely day. Sirius, I must require that you remain in your canine form at any time when you are outside of these quarters or in the presence of others unless of course you are with Harry, Miss Granger, or any of the Weasleys."

Padfoot yipped again and with a swish, Dumbledore headed for the door. Before he could reach it, however; Snape stepped in front of him.

"I want an explanation for this. You act as if Black is simply a puppy that needs taking care of. He left Grimmauld Place, snuck into the castle, and now refuses to leave. Do you realize the risk we are taking in keeping a convicted murderer at Hogwarts?"

Padfoot whined at Snape's approximation of his situation and Dumbledore shook his head.

"Severus, you know very well that Sirius was wrongly convicted and I will not make him go back. He obviously has an important reason for being here."

"Well if I'm going to allow him to remain here, I demand his 'important reason for being here'."

The two men turned and looked down upon the cowering black dog at their feet. Padfoot did not want to change back. He had a feeling that being in his human form would make Snape realize that Sirius Black, his lifelong rival, was in his private living space. That would not go well, so he cowered. Dumbledore sighed.

"It seems that he does not wish to transform Severus. Oh, Sirius, you aren't trapped in this form by any chance?"

Padfoot shook his head adamantly.

"Well you see Severus; it seems you have a new companion. Have a wonderful day!"

The Headmaster bypassed Snape and left before the Potions Master could utter a complaint. Padfoot eyed him carefully, looking for any sign that he might be kicked. Finally Snape moved back to the couch. Padfoot whined softly when he saw the man limping slightly. Severus turned and looked at him strangely.

"Why won't you change back, Black? Are you here to make my life a living hell? If so, you're a bit late for that. You see, I replaced the torment of you and your Marauders with teaching imbecilic children and "serving" a madman. Or I should say two madmen…"

Padfoot snorted. Severus could be quite witty. Sirius had always admired Snape's creativity when it came to insults but he liked hearing him rambling on, which was very unlike the normally controlled man. It was almost as if he was nervous about Padfoot's presence. That was intriguing.

By three in the afternoon, Padfoot was restless and really had to pee. He started scratching at the door and whining softly. Snape ignored him in favor of continuing with a Potions article that had been published recently. Padfoot was growing desperate and in response his whines turned to howls and barks. Snape threw the journal to the couch with a snap and rose from the couch.

"You are insufferable Black and you are wasting my time. You do not have to go outside to relieve yourself. You could very easily transform and use the facilities located just down the hallway like a rational human being rather than acting like a stupid animal.

That was not happening. Padfoot growled and lifted his leg, aiming toward the nearest bookshelf.

"No!" Snape lunged toward him but Padfoot had already trotted back to the door and looked at the fuming man with his head cocked to the side.

"You will pay for that dog."

Finally, Snape opened the door and walked up the many sets of stairs to the entrance hall. Padfoot noticed that the front door was open when he felt a cool breeze brush his fur back and the bright sunlight warm him. He dashed forward but was pulled up short as a collar and leash were spelled on him. He snarled as Snape smirked and tugged on the leash.

"Come on doggy, you were the one who wanted to go out."

The black dog sullenly lagged behind him, refusing to keep pace. When he glanced up, Padfoot was startled to realize that he had an excellent view of the Severus' arse. In his haste to get Padfoot away from his precious tomes, Snape must have forgotten to don his customary black robes. He was wearing simple black slacks that hugged him in all the right places. Padfoot couldn't keep his tongue from lolling out.

After a good amount of ogling, Padfoot remembered how badly he needed to alleviate the pressure in his bladder. He pulled until he was able to ensconce himself among a few small bushes. Snape rolled his eyes at him but he was not about to do that in front of the man.

When the odd pair emerged into the sunshine surrounding the Black Lake, many of the lounging or playing students took notice. Many were shocked to see Professor Snape with an animal that wasn't about to be dissected into potions ingredients. Despite his best glare, three Hufflepuff girls were not deterred in their approach. They crouched down in front of Padfoot, petting him and cooing about his soft fur. Playing his part and happy to have their attention, Padfoot yipped happily and pressed back into the scratches to that place behind his ear.

Unfortunately but expectedly, Snape could not stand giggling Hufflepuffs near him.

"The mutt has fleas…and rabies. Unless you wish to have puss-filled sores and to froth at the mouth I suggest you remove yourselves from my dog and move along."

The girls looked disgusted and quickly went away. Padfoot was slightly disappointed but he couldn't help but revel at Severus calling him his dog. He would not be adverse to being owned by the man, belonging to him.

Snape strode off without a second glance and Padfoot happily trotted beside him; that is, until he smelled Harry. With a yelp, he took off running toward the Forbidden Forest. Snape tried to rein him in but then let go of the leash in interest of his self-preservation. He ran at full speed after the dog and final came to a full stop when he found Padfoot at the edge of a clover patch just inside the forest. Snape bent down to catch his breath but pull his wand and straightened when he heard a strange sound.

He squinted to see through the shadows that the thick trees provided. What he saw was the very last thing that he had ever expected and was something that would probably scar him for life; possibly more than a Crucio from the Dark Lord.

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Hmm, what could it be? I'm already writing the next chapter so hopefully I won't leave you hanging for too long.


	7. Chapter 7

Or maybe I'll leave you hanging for awhile...Sorry again but I think this is just the way I am.

* * *

Seeing your Godson half-naked rutting against the likewise shirtless Boy Who Lived and seemingly attempting to snog his face off was not a thing that Snape ever wished to see. He wished he could manually scrub this from his mind and possibly his eyeballs as well for good measure. After a few long moments of being completely gob smacked, Severus was brought back to the present by Padfoot's snort of what seemed to be approval.

With two long strides he was in the clearing and towering over the oblivious young wizards.

"Ahem…" The gruff sound had the boys springing apart in an instant with gasping breath, heaving chests, and wide eyes. A tense moment followed in which Snape glared menacingly between the two on the ground while Harry looked horrified and embarrassed. Draco simply shrugged his shoulders and looked smug.

"What in Merlin's name is going on here Draco?"

"Oh Severus, I always got the impression that you of all people would know exactly what two men do…"

"Enough. Ten points from Gryffindor for entering the Forbidden Forest."

Potter was almost able to overcome his blush to object to Severus' predictable penalty and returned the glare. That is, until he spotted the panting black dog at the potion master's feet.

"Padfoot?"

The animagus yipped in response and launched himself at the boy. Draco scooted away from the unknown animal with a disgruntled grumble as Harry embraced him and began to pet him enthusiastically.

"What are you doing here? I thought you had to stay at Grim… at home." Padfoot just nuzzled the boy and licked his face.

"The mutt escaped and now refuses to return to his home. Would you happen to know why the idiot won't leave me alone?"

Severus returned his glare to Potter while Draco looked between them in confusion.

"Whose dog is this exactly? I didn't know you had one Harry."

Potter looked up at Severus as if to ask for permission.

"Absolutely not Potter."

"But we're dating."

"As disturbingly true as that may be, you are not telling him."

"He's my Godfather, Sirius Black." Draco looked down at the dog in alarm. Severus glared with fervor and exasperation at the blatant disregard of his authority.

"You are an imbecile. Are you unaware of his father's position…"

"You mean right next to you at snake face's feet."

"Potter…"

"I won't tell anyone Severus but…um isn't he a crazed murderer. Should he really be out and about?"

"That's why he's kept on a leash. Now Potter, I do believe that you can take him from here."

Severus turned intending to relinquish responsibility for Black and return to his routine. Unfortunately, the dog was growling in front of him before he could take two steps.

"I think Padfoot wants to stay with you Professor." Potter's amusement was doing nothing for Severus' headache. He snatched up the leash and motioned for the boys to follow him. They rose and righted each others' clothes. Severus was nauseated to see Draco smooth down Potter's collar with a small smile.

"Do you really think that your father won't hear about you running around with the Gryffindor Golden Boy, Draco? That could be messy. How exactly did this come about? The two of you have always despised each other."

Severus really couldn't fathom how they could just forget all of the fistfights, duels, and insults that they had exchanged every chance they got from their first meeting. He had been intimately and reluctantly familiar with the state of their relationship due to Draco's whining during his private potions lessons. This turn around though, was unexpected.

"I don't give a damn what my father thinks, Severus. Anyway, we just changed…or no, we didn't change; we just realized that all the energy we spend on each other could be used in more productive ways."

With that, Draco leered at Harry and gave him a wink. Of course, this spurred the blush to return to Harry's face.

"Enough. I don't want to hear about it. What I want is for the mutt to stay with you Potter."

By then, they had returned to the sunlit hill looking down onto the Black Lake. Potter took the leash and walked with Padfoot out of earshot. He knelt down and had what appeared to be a very deep discussion with his dogfather. Just as Severus was losing patience, the boy nodded and strode back to them.

"Professor Snape, Sirius is staying with you. I think he has unfinished business with you and anyway, students aren't allowed to have dogs in the dorms. You two have fun! Come on, Draco."

Before Severus could object, Potter had dropped the leash, grabbed Draco's hand, and ran down the hill.

"That boy is just as reckless as you Black." The dog yipped and licked his hand.

"That was not a compliment. Come along then; I have work to do. I know such a concept is foreign to you."

Severus grabbed up the leash and tugged the compliant dog toward the castle. He had not intended to allow this travesty to continue but at the moment, he saw no way out of it.


End file.
